


Welcome to Mystery

by mcsexy_biscuits



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: AU, Adding a bit of Tad Strange into the mix, BillDip, F/F, I'll tag it when it comes up don't worry your pretty lil head, Just a little bit later on, Lots of magic misuse, Manipulation, Mind Control, Multi, Nice Pacifica and Gideon, Not so nice Twins, Possibly a bit of possesion, Rev!PInes, Reverse Pines, You know how demons can get, but eventually I'll figure things out, mabifica, switched personalities, there will be a bit of blood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-03-31 10:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3974305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcsexy_biscuits/pseuds/mcsexy_biscuits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Welcome to the Tent of Telepathy! We are so glad you could make it on such a special night. Today we tell a story of four children, each far more out of their element than any of them had every imagined. We hope you aren't easily frightened, this is not an easy tale to tell!"</p><p>Reverse Pines AU with more tags and relationships to come as they develop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Tent of Telepathy

**Author's Note:**

> I've done it now. I've sunk far enough into the fandom to get tangled up in this AU and I'm never coming out. I've put more thought into this story in a few hours than I have in anything in my life. I'm still in the process of intro chapters so I can get a bit of a feel for the psycho twins first before I get too deep into it. Excuse me as I go looking for the little pieces of my soul I haven't sold of to any fandoms yet.

_Come one, come all and welcome to the Tent of Telepathy!_

 

_The home of The Gleeful Twins, young psychics._

 

_Come see sixteen year old Dipper and Mabel as they astound you with their mystical powers._

 

_Mind reading, future sight, telekinesis, levitation, and more! These children truly have it all!_

 

_Anyone can perform cheap parlor tricks, but this is no place to see the sleight of hand!_

 

_Here you will see genuine magic performed by two of the youngest magicians the world has yet to see._

 

_Dear guests, you are in for a special treat today!_

 

_Tonight you hear a story told by the twins themselves._

 

_A story of contracts and demons,_

 

_Spells and enchantment,_

 

_Young love and tragedy._

 

_We do hope you aren't easily frightened though._

 

_This is not an easy tale to tell!_


	2. Places, Places!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more intro for the psycho twins. Oh lord.

        "Places, you two! The show starts in ten minutes, and you don't want to be late like last night!"

 

        "Coming, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel's voice rang from the back of the stage, causing the crowd in front to emit a small cheer. It brought a small grin to her face, but an eye roll from her brother who stood directly to her left. She loved teasing the guests like that, though Dipper saw it as a waste of time. Not that he had too much of a choice, though. Mabel loved to draw him into her needless games. "Why don't we start a bit early tonight, Brother Dear?"

 

        "Of course. Lights, please." Dipper took his twin's hand in his as they both lifted the center flaps of the curtain and took a step through. The crowd's cheers grew exponentially for the twins. Now they were both grinning and they took a deep bow, fingers still interlocked.

 

_Let the show begin.._

 

~ Δ ~

 

        Yet another thing Mabel simply loved to do.

 

        Toy with the more  _devoted_ fans in the crowd just to see how far her powers and popularity could take her. With just a few choice words and a bit of influence for the more difficult subjects would get them backstage long enough to give her her fill of amusement. 

 

 _"I adore you!"_ They'd say.  _"I'd do anything for you!"_ Which were the exact words her new plaything of the night was whispering in case her brother was around to hear. He was, of course, but he'd seen this far too many times to pay them any mind. They'd regret their words soon anyway. 

 

        "You flatter me, Gabe." Mabel giggled, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. Any other boy had seen this act hundreds of times before, though with the power of the amulet they wouldn't recall a thing about any girl before her. "But no one would give anything. There is always a line to be drawn."

 

        "Not for you, Mabel! I swear on my life"

 

        That was what she loved to hear. A smirk tugged at her lips and had his mind not been as clouded as it was, he would see a faint blue glow light her eyes. "Then how about I show you a few more magic tricks I've been working on? I've been  _dying_ to test out my new act, but it seems Dipper isn't as bent on making me happy as you are."

 

        Without hesitation, the boy took the hand she offered and followed the girl to her dressing room. There, he noticed five daggers on her vanity table and a large target with restraints to the side of it. Mabel's influence weighed out most of the fear he had, though the remainder of it all was still evident enough on his face to decide to give him another small incentive to please her. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck, heels making her just tall enough for her eyes to meet his. In return, his hands rested on her waist. "Gabe, I know this seems a bit dangerous, but Dipper and I had a whole new act planned out for tomorrow nights show. Being that I've noticed you in the crowd every night this week, I figured you'd want to be the first to see this week's big finale..."

 

        Gabe swallowed hard, unable to tear his eyes away from her. "Y-you've noticed me each time? In such a huge crowd?"

 

        Another playful giggle and a nod. Who could resist? "Of course, silly! It's hard to ignore such a handsome fan of ours." Her fingers lightly played with his, though her eyes continued to demand his full attention. "Our act, though...It's knife throwing. The daggers are enchanted to hit every time."

 

        "Enchanted, huh...?" His worry was beginning to fade, though his brain hardly processed anything else she said.

 

        "Mmh. And you know I'd never hit you, right?"

 

        "Right."

 

        To seal the deal, Mabel planted a soft kiss on his lips. In an instant, all fear was gone, and he mindlessly released her and walked to the target, staying still long enough to strap him in. "Don't worry. Dipper isn't going to be joining us tonight." Mabel smiled at the vacant expression the boy's face now held, carefully picking up all five blades in either hand. She took her professional throwing stance from an appropriate distance, a pleased smile on her face. To anyone else, a young woman holding knives as you are strapped to a bullseye would be horrifying. To Gabe, this was just another show.

 

        First knife thrown landed directly beneath his right wrist. The impact was loud enough to bring Gabe's working mind back to consciousness, though he still had to reprocess what was going on.

 

        "Wonderful!" Mabel sang, taking aim and tossing again before he could protest. This impact below his other wrist helped him understand he was in danger.

 

        The third knife landed between his legs. 

 

        "Mabel-!" His distressed tone of voice caused her to pout, though the threw the fourth anyway. It landed just to the left of his neck, freezing the boy right up again.

 

        "Oh Gabe..." Disappointment thickened in her voice and expression as she held the final dagger with both hands. "...Don't you trust me?"

 

        "I-I do, but you're getting pretty close..." His voice was shaky and his eyes did not make contact with hers anymore. This was a problem.

 

        "I only have one knife left...I promise, they're all enchanted. I couldn't miss if I tried."

 

        "...Do you promise?"

 

        "I do."

 

        The boy's head lifted, keeping still as he expected the fifth and final dagger to land to the right of it this time. With fear in his eyes but magic induced trust in his veins, he gave her a soft "Go ahead."

 

        The final knife pierced straight through his heart, emitting a choked gasp from Gabe as he stared wide eyed in disbelief at the girl. It only took a few seconds for the emotion to fade slightly, once tense body going limp.

 

        "I told you I wouldn't miss."

 

~ ∆ ~

  
  
         Dipper on the other hand was less enthusiastic about seeing guests after the show. He wasn't one for frivolous use of the amulet's powers as Mabel was. While he'd use them to make mundane tasks easier, he hardly ever shows off his abilities unless otherwise practiced with Mabel or asked by their Grunkle. It'd be more of a drawback, really. They hardly need to show any amount of magic to their guests to entertain them, so showing that they're more capable than they let on would make them expect more. Him and Mabel always held different views on this, but it wasn't like her side customers would be able to tell a soul once she was through with them anyway.

  
         After shows he usually waited around the back for Mabel to finish before they started to head home, but tonight was a little different. Nothing but a couple stragglers left behind, but still a problem he intended to deal with. He waited just to see what they would do, watching them argue softly amongst each other until the girl spun on her heel to head back to the tent entrance, clutching a leather bound book in front of her. Oh well. Mabel could handle two extras. The remaining young boy was left with a nervous expression on his face, scanning the area for anyone watching. _Not well enough, it seems_. Dipper quietly stepped towards the white haired boy, levitating a knife to his throat once he was close enough.

 

        "Tell me what you are doing back here _now_. You have ten seconds." The cold touch of the blade and glow of his eyes and magic made the boy whimper and shudder, eyes wide and freezing still in place.

  
         "I-I just! M-m-my best friend is a h-huge fan a-and convinced me to come with her j-just so she could meet her idols! I-I'll leave, I swear!" 

  
         The stammering made things hard to understand, only irritating Dipper further. On top if this, he knew this was a Pines boy- the son of the tent's only competition. The knife pressed closer.  "Gideon Pines, give me one reason I should release you and let your little hippie friend antagonize my sister. _Five_ _seconds_."

  
         A squeak escaped his throat and he tensed up, hands shaking now. "P-please! I'm not giving you any trouble, I-I'll call Paz off if it helps!! I-I haven't even learned the growing wand trick, oh gosh I'm gonna die a complete failure!!"

  
         Dollar store magic tricks? That was what his life was worth? Dipper growled in his ear, placing a firm hand on Gideon's shoulder and digging his nails in. "Get the girl out. Run home. Don't come back."

 

        Gideon gave a soft and quick nod, taking off the instant the knife hit the ground. Dipper fixed his clothes and waited once again. It only took another couple minutes for his sister to join him, though with an albeit irritated expression.

 

       "Dipper. We need to talk about those kids."

 

       The harshness in her tone caught him a bit off guard and he quirked an eyebrow. "What for? They're gone, aren't they?"

 

       "Through _your_  intimidation. That girl had better come back or I swear..." Mabel's voice lowered, not in the mood to attract their Grunkle's attention. "...She had a journal. One of ours. But it wasn't number one."

 

        As soon as Dipper understood what this meant, he grinned. "So there's more? Interesting."

 

        "' _Interesting'_? No, Dipper. We need three now, not two. You promised this'd be easy."

 

        "And it will be, _'Sister Dear_ '," he mocked, though placed a hand on her cheek to calm her. She immediately averted her eyes. "These kids are nothing to us. A small bump in the road only makes the game more fun for us...And more powerful, I might add."

 

        At that, Mabel smiled again. "Fine. I'm trust you on this, Dipper."

 

        Dipper chuckled, leading his sister home.

 

        " _So does everyone else in Gravity Falls._ "


	3. We're Going For a Ride!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last intro/where the actual story begins! 
> 
> Well it kinda began a while ago but here's where things get interesting.

        Pacifica knew Gideon was scared. She knew he was horrified that one of her idols just threatened his life. She knew it was a serious, life or death situation;

 

But she laughed. And Gideon whined.

 

       "Paaaz! Don't laugh at me!"

  
        Pacifica calmed her laughter down after a few seconds, wiping the start of tears away from her eyes. "Giiiid, I'm not laughing _at_ you...Entirely-" If her smile wasn't so damn innocent, he might have stopped her there. But he let her be her talkative self as she expertly weaved through the trees toward the shack. "I'm mostly laughing at myself, actually. I mean, I must have seemed like some crazy fangirl of Mabel's when I walked in and didn't speak--Seriously, I lost my ability to form words around that girl! Maybe it was the guy she stabbed in front of me, though."

  
        "Wait- Mabel _killed_  someone and you didn't say anything?" Gideon stooped dead in his tracks, shaking again. Paz had to come back to calm him down for what had to be the fourth time tonight. 

  
        "Shhh, Gid- I'm not saying this is nothing. We'll tell the cops in the morning! But for now, we're both alive. And have a _really cool story to tell_. We gotta go there more often!"

  
        "Are you _insane_?! Your idols are homicidal twins with magical powers and you _still_ want to go back?" Paz only grinned and gave him a big nod. At which he tossed his hands in the air. "Unbelievable. Well actually, believable _for you_. And that's what scares me."

  
        "Lighten uuup! You're so easily scared by everything. I'm starting to think this journal is bad for your head." Paz held the journal up with a grin. "I don't think the author intended this to be a children's book~" The kicked puppy pout is what got her every time. It was the face of 'I'm only two years younger and I act twice as mature to make up for it'. So cute. She handed him the book and giggled, kissing his forehead. "I'm gonna head home, kay? You go get some sleep and we'll call when I get here."

  
        Gideon nodded and opened the shack door. "Come early and come quick, okay?"

  
        Paz gave him a wink and turned away without a goodbye (which she claimed was "depressing" so she'd never have to say it), neon clothing still visible from a mile away. 

  
        Gideon was glad it was dark for once. It made it hard to see the blush on his face.

 

  
~ ∆ ~

 

  
        _Gideon Pines...._

  
  
        Gideon opened his eyes, expecting to see someone in his room. Paz trying to freak him out, probably. But as soon as the light hit his eyes, he just saw a colourless version of the forest outside. It wasn't any particular patch of trees, so he didn't know if he was close to home or as far as he could possibly be. He couldn't see if the sun or the moon was out or where any of the wildlife was. All he could tell was that this was a dream. Or something similar, since his dreams tended to be a little more lively than this.

 

        The voice snapped him back to whatever type of reality this was meant to be.

 

_Focus, kid. You're not here on vacation._

 

This is the point where Gideon's sense of fear also returned to him. "Wh-who are you? Why  _am_ I here? Why can't I see you?"

 

         _Working on it...Give me like two seconds, this is hard._ The voice stopped for a few more moments before what seemed to be a perfectly human body materialized before him. The only things that seemed off about this form was the blue hair and one entirely white eye. "Ah, better. Wait, is this eye even working-? Helloooo..." The taller man fiddled around with his hair and gently poked at the problematic eyeball, confusing Gideon even more. 

 

        "I-I...? Excuse me?"

 

        Instantly, the man in blue looked right at Gideon and perked up, grinning from ear to ear. "Right! I sorta called you up here. Hope you didn't need the sleep or anything!" Gideon continued to stare at the man, who then made another realization. "Oh riiight, you need an explanation of who and what I am. Humans and their lack of knowledge- it's just so cute!"

 

        "I-is this a dream or is this really happening?"

 

        "Honestly, you've got a huge lineup of questions I gotta get through and I can see more adding up in your head so slow your roll. The name is a  _little strange_. Tad Strange, to be specific. Extremely powerful dream demon here to invade your dreams and give you a warning." Before Gideon opened his mouth again, the man- No, the demon- placed a hand over it. "About those magicians you saw last night. I mean I'd absolutely love to see you  _attempt_ to get them locked up, but the police aren't just smitten with them. Those kids have strings in lots of places. If you want something done, which you will once you do this little thing I tell you to, you gotta do it yourself."

 

        Gideon lifted Tad's hand off his mouth. "If you're a demon, how do I know you're telling the truth?"

 

        "Word to the wise, Gid." Tad grinned at the shock that came with the mention on the nickname, but continued. "Demons don't show their faces unless they want something. And I'm being a nice guy and all for you by making this body image- You'd  _freak_ at the sight of a floating square. I know you better than you."

 

        Gideon's gaze shifted down.  _What does he want from me?_

 

        "Dream demon.  _Dream_ demon. We are  _in_ a dream. I can hear everything you're thinking." Tad's Cheshire smile dropped, though he still didn't look all too intimidating. "That journal? The twins have one for their own. Look through yours a bit harder and you'll probably get why that's such a bad thing. I can't give you much information, so I won't. But they're coming after you and I need a couple helpers working for me in the physical realm. In return I make sure you guys don't get killed- _or worse_."

 

        Gideon bit his tongue when he almost asked  _what could be worse?_ , which earned him another small smile as the world slowly began to crumble away around them. 

 

        "Remember: Stay one step ahead of the twins. Read carefully. Get Pacifica involved. And  _never_ try to contact me."

 

        The last words rang through Gideon's head as he shot up out of bed, panting and trying his best to slow his heart rate down. His choice phrase to do this was, as always, "It's just a dream".

 

        That all went down the drain when he heard a female voice downstairs. It wasn't Paz. It wasn't his mother. It was Mabel. But she sounded as happy as she ever did at her shows. 

 

        Gideon quietly creeped downstairs, tracing the sounds to the living room. He peaked from the doorframe as stealthily as possible, seeing the Gleeful Twins smiling and having a casual conversation with his own father, while Paz sat in a side chair gripping the armrests so hard her knuckles were white. Pacifica was scared out if her mind.

 

        In an attempt to catch her attention, Dipper Gleeful's eyes fell on him and drew everyone's gaze to him. _I was wrong. Today is the day I die._ "Oh. Gideon, isn't it? Sorry if we woke you up."

 

        "Aw, don't worry about him! Gid wakes up around now anyway." His dad chuckled, patting him on the back. Gideon was speechless. "Well you got a few friends here, don't ya, Gideon? Don't let me bother you-"

 

        "No!" Gideon squeaked, forcing a nervous smile. "Y-you can stay, it's not like we're going to be talking about anything  _private_..."

 

        "Oh, sorry Gideon. We actually wanted to talk about last night, which is kinda just a secret between us kids!" Mabel spoke without hesitation or malice, but Gideon knew better now. _Paz_ knew, and that was horrifying. "Mr. Pines, we won't be long! We just have to clear up a misunderstanding."

 

        Even if his dad wanted to stay, Gideon knew the twins wouldn't give this up. His father only gave them a nod and a smile before exiting the room. The change in atmosphere was instantaneous.

 

        "Listen, we just wanted to apologize for scaring you last night!" Mabel spoke again. It seemed that she was the talker while Dipper was intimidation. "I know you both experienced some nasty things, so we just wanted to say we're honestly sorry. It was a  _bad night..._ To make it up to you, we're inviting you back for free!"

 

        Paz, who was uncharacteristically silent, shook her head. "I love you're show, and I know Gideon did too, but we really rather not-"

 

        " _We insist._ " Dipper pressed, glaring daggers straight to her. Paz only pressed her lips tighter together and nodded. 

 

        "Oh, and if you're afraid you'll turn out the way my backstage guest did...I guarantee that you are as safe in our home as you are in yours." There was the malice. The  _threat_. With a smirk on Mabel's face, she took Dipper's hand and headed for the door, opening it without touching the handle. "Tonight, please. We have a special show planned, and we've been dying to show it to you!"

 

        Once the door closed behind them, Gideon immediately ran to get the journal, sitting on his bedroom floor as he rapidly flipped through pages. Paz came running up after him, asking a million questions at once that he ignored entirely. The journal did in fact have things he could connect the twins to- The amulets they wore were magic, and the star Mabel wore was a demon's image. If that wasn't unsettling enough, the demon was said to alter the minds of anyone he wanted- The way Mabel did when the twins wanted to perform hypnosis on volunteers.

 

        "Paz- Paz we're in trouble. We  _need_ to go to that show now."

 

        "Didn't you call me insane when I offered? Now that the twins have shown up at your doorstep, invited us to a 'special show', and a book says they actually control people's minds, you think it's a good idea?" Paz slid the journal out of his hands, trying to get his full attention. "This is a bad idea and you  _know_ it!"

 

        "That isn't-!" Gideon groaned and lay back on the floor. "Maybe I am crazy, but a demon came to me in my dream last night and warned me about them. He said they were coming after us and as soon as I wake up they're here. Plus, the demon said they have one and now we have proof that they've gotten a hold of dangerous things _written in the journal_. That can't be some wild coincidence! You've got to listen to me and we have to do something about it."

 

        Paz gave him a worried stare and sighed. She never looked this afraid. She never acted on her fear. And she never let Gideon tell her what to do. But today was an exception to all of those things as she handed back the journal and said: "Then just for today, you're in charge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is possibly where I start posting easier because the hard part is over and done with!  
> I guarantee I will get in at least a chapter a week, probably more but don't get your hopes up too high!
> 
> I do have a beta now so hopefully the chapters wont have too many mistakes laying around, but feel free to point them out if we both end up missing them!


	4. Play With Your Dolls.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh I'm sorry. I did say Mabifica, didn't I? Well I guess it's time for a little bit of that!

        Once again, Stan called for the twins to get to their places. Instead of teasing the guests, Mabel quickly took a peak behind the curtain to see if _they_ came. Sure enough, they were front and center, fear plastered on their faces while they made eye contact. She smirked and closed the curtain again. "We're ready, Grunkle Stan!"

        Tonight, the curtain raised over them on their own to reveal Dipper at a piano and Mabel with a violin. They learned to play at a very young age, though their talent was in playing with appropriated magic and showmanship. This was just backup for anytime a show went wrong... Until Mabel stumbled across the Siren Spell. It was a simple enough process considering the help they had on their side. It was a simple spell to cast given the fact that they'd watch everyone instantly fall more infatuated than they'd ever been before. They had to be taken temporarily only by Dipper's wishes, but nevertheless completely enamored for the time being.

 

        The best part was that Mabel got to keep the victim, who with any luck, would be Gideon Pines. It wasn't love. It wasn't an obsession. Once she had finished manipulating him into handing over the journal, he'd be nothing more than a trophy.

 

        Dipper began playing, encouraging Mabel to follow suit. The Song did have lyrics, which Mabel would gladly have sung if her brother hadn't explicitly told her not to. It was a beautiful arrangement even without the enchantment they'd placed, though that definitely did strengthen their playing significantly. As did the confidence in seeing the crowd's reaction; a dead silent audience filled with expressions of complete captivation.

 

        As Mabel's gaze fell down to where her prize was sitting, she noticed his face was lacking the expected reaction. Though Pacifica wasn't.

 

        Maybe she could work with this.

 

        As the Song came to a slow end, the audience clapped. And they proceeded with their regularly scheduled performances.

 

~ ∆ ~

 

         Afterwards, Grunkle Stan needed to step up security to clear the place out aside from the two intended targets. The spell was said to wear off within a day or two for most with a few exceptions, which gave them plenty of time to coax journal number three out of the child's hands. Or so they thought.

 

        "I hope you enjoyed the show." It was one of the rare occurrences when Dipper openly spoke instead of Mabel, though only directed to Gideon who gave him nothing short of an unimpressed huff. It was Pacifica who chose to reply instead

 

        "It was breathtaking! I had no idea you two could play music too. Mabel, you and that violin looked like you were made for each other. It was amazing!" Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, getting a little too close to Mabel for comfort.

 

        "It was fine. Now what are you going to do with us...?" Gideon's words were said in a tone meant to be intimidating, but was completely shot in the foot by his voice shaking near the end with the addition of a look of desperation shot towards his friend.

 

        The journal  _did_ say something about ineffectiveness in those who were already in love. A fact that Dipper already seemed to remember judging by his smirk.

 

        "We just felt like we needed to make up for our behavior last night. I'll admit, we were having a pretty  _bad day..._ "

 

        Dipper continued to speak on Mabel's behalf as she continued looking at the blonde in front of her, decorated entirely in tacky neon clothes and accessories that seemed to belong to a child in the nineties. It was sickening, yet oddly endearing. Not that Mabel really enjoyed staring at it all so up close. While the two boys continued to talk, she began to drown them out and quietly talk to her new servant.

 

        "Your name is Pacifica, isn't it? The Southeasts' daughter?" She asked with the lightest smile she could summon, drawing an excited nod.

 

        "Yeah, that's me! But call me Paz."

 

        "I'd really rather not."

 

        "Oh, okay that's fine too!" Pacifica's eyes never lost their shine and her voice never shook. It was confidence that not even a spell could fabricate. Almost an admirable trait by the twin's standards.

 

        "If you don't mind, I'd like to take you backstage so we could let these boys talk on their own while I talk to you." Mabel flashed her the same enticing smile she gave all the boys, though noted that it felt significantly different with another female.

 

        Gideon had apparently heard her and spoke up, nervously and somewhat protectively grabbing Pacifica's arm. "She isn't going anywhere with a psychopath like you!"

 

        He apparently cut Dipper off, as he growled. "You and I aren't done talking. And we told you we aren't going to harm you tonight  _as long as you behave._ " His voice held venom his sister adored, as did his eyes that never averted from the boy. Gideon was reduced to a trembling mess as he nodded. Pacifica still turned and gently placed her hands on his shoulders.

 

        "I promise I'll be fine. I'll watch out if you do, but just make sure not to do anything to annoy them tonight, okay?" Realizing she was talking about just how untrusting they still were, she looked to Dipper. "Uh. There's nothing wrong with caution, right? Like you know we don't feel safe so we aren't going to act like we do, right?" Dipper gave her a slow nod and she returned to Mabel's side.

 

        "Good. Let's go." Mabel gently took the girl's hand out of habit, leading her back to her dressing room. There wasn't the slightest trace of hesitation, and it both overjoyed her and made her uncomfortable. All the boys had shown at least some sign of independence, but Pacifica wasn't. It was a bit unsettling how easily free will was stripped from someone.

 

        Once Mabel closed the door, Pacifica took a seat and continued to smile at her. "You wanted to talk, right?"

 

        "Yes, about that book from last night..." She sat close beside her, resorting to more flirtation tactics, running a hand up her leg. "I've seen it before...What is it about?"

 

        Pacifica's face flushed red once she understood what was happening, though it was easy to tell the Song made it difficult to object to her touch. Instead, she bit her lip and told her all of the right things. "It's um...Gideon's dad had it. And he gave it to Gid and we just go through it sometimes because it's filled with Gravity Falls secrets like monsters a-and...um...stuff like that...We've read it a million times at least..." Pacifica placed her hand over Mabel's to stop her, but instead Mabel laced their fingers together and got closer.

 

        "Oh? Sounds pretty amazing...Can I look?"

 

        Pacifica shuddered and closed her eyes. "I-I'd show you, but I don't have it...And Gideon didn't bring it...I-I'm sorry, but he said those amulets on your headband and on Dipper's tie were in it?"

 

        The kids were smart. She had to hand that to them. "Oh, these silly things? They're part of the costume. Don't you think it suits us?" Before giving Pacifica the chance to answer, Mabel cut straight to the chase and whispered in her ear. "I see you in the crowd, you know. You're cute little expressions really do make me smile. I see how happy you get when I do my little tricks for you. And last I saw how excited you were to talk to me before you saw....the  _unspeakable_. Really, I'd love to reward you. But you have to promise to keep making me smile...keep coming back for me,  _and only_ for me..." She could feel the girl get tense, almost able to hear her heart pound. It was almost too easy.

 

        "I will...I promise, I'll always come back..."

 

        Mabel gently turned her face to look her in the eye, humming softly. "Then may I make this an official deal between us?" 

 

        With a small nod, Mabel closed the gap and kissed her gently. It was more of a way to mark her territory at first, but instead of sitting back and letting it happen, Pacifica kissed back and assumed control. It must have just been the work of the Song, but even so she wasn't as submissive as she initially let off. The sudden realization that this was not a situation she had full control over hit her hard, though it was still somewhat enticing.  _Well, I did want someone new to play around with..._

 

        Before things got out of hand, a knock on the door caused both girls do jump. Dipper's chuckle only irritated his twin further as she let go of Pacifica. "Well well, sister. Having a little fun with your new toy?"

 

        "This is none of your business. She doesn't have the journal, the kid does."

 

        Dipper growled, knowing there would be no way Pacifica could lie under this kind of influence. "He lied to me, then. I knew he wasn't susceptible to the Siren Song, but I didn't think he could slip out of Kryptos' power..."

 

        "You  _know_ to leave those jobs to me-" Mabel began to argue with her brother until she realized she was still holding Pacifica's hand- and she squeezed it to get her attention.

 

        "Mabel...Siren Song? You put me under a  _spell_? ...That kiss meant nothing to you, didn't it?" The expression of hurt on her face wasn't something new. Seduce the boy, crush his trust- That was her routine. But today, she actually felt apologetic. She wanted to reassure her of something, but there was no  _truth_  that could make anything better. They were caught red handed, all thanks to Dipper. Instead of sharing her remorse though, he tipped the Pacifica's head up to look him in the eye instead. _  
_

 

        "Of course it meant something- she's  _claimed_ you. You belong to us now, and since I let your little friend go believing  _you_ had what we wanted, you're stuck with us."

 

~ ∆ ~

 

        Pacifica didn't speak the whole way to her "room"-which was their own basement, though soundproofed with barred doors. Not a single word even as Dipper locked the door and proceeded to taunt her. Not so much as a glance to Mabel as they left her there to rot.

 

        Mabel  _hated_ it.

 

        By doing nothing at all, Pacifica  was able to play her like her own violin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is an actual song they played, which is a piano arrangement for [Once Upon a December](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mRvQFyUpkDM). Thank you MentalMelodies for finding the version I was looking for! It'll come up later, so I just figured you guys should have at least a tune in your head for now.


	5. Turn Off The Lights.

        It didn't take long for the spell to wear off, and once it did, Pacifica wasn't mad anymore. She had every reason to be- they did capture her and lock her in their basement. But she did overreact about one fake kiss. No matter how real it felt. Or how much Mabel seemed to enjoy it herself. Or the fact that she actually held her hand. And all those things she said that she so badly wanted to believe...

 

        Alright, maybe she was a little mad. But being upset was the last thing that was going to help her right now.

 

        The room was dark and actually pretty cold. If she weren't wearing the biggest, baggiest jacket she had, she could have sworn she'd freeze. After having her fill of sulking over Mabel, she started to look around to see what was down there with her. There hadn't been any noises, so she assumed she was alone. There wasn't any light once you got far enough away from the door. She wasn't exactly scared of the dark, but scared of whatever cryptos the twins might've been keeping as "pets". The only way she could think of to pass time was to sing to herself, which was a bit depressing. At least it she felt it was until she heard a  _voice_.

 

         _You sing beautifully, Paz._

 

        It caught her off guard to hear someone unfamiliar using her nickname, though the soft way it spoke calmed her down a bit. "Who's there?"

 

_Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you. Actually, I'm here to help. My name is Bill._

 

        Paz frowned and tried to look around, but it was still too dark. Noticing how she struggled, Bill chuckled.

 

         _Give me a minute and I'll show you a human form, okay? You've seen me somewhere before, but I didn't have the nicest description..._

 

It wasn't the most reassuring response, but it was something. She sat patiently until a blue flame lit the room- which now seemed to lack all colour at all. The flame sat in the middle of what seemed to be a boy's hands, though with how he said this was a "human form", she wasn't so sure. At the thought of this,  _he_ smiled.

 

"This is a boy's body. Not mine, and not my idea to take it."

 

        The confused look on her face prompted Bill to continue, though he was more happy with the fact that she was trusting him. At least slightly.

 

        "Alright, to be fair...I'm a demon. A very powerful one, actually. But I don't usually cause too much trouble outside of people's dreams." Bill gave her a weak smile. "Recently I've been stuck here, though. Under the Gleeful Twins' contract..."

 

        "Whoaahhh, back up there Bill-" Pacifica's hands flew up to shush him quickly, trying to remember his page in the book. "Bill...Bill Cipher? But the journal said-"

 

        "The journals are  _wrong_. About a lot of things." He shook his head and sighed, letting the hair hang in the air while he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "But, I pulled you into the mindscape for a reason. I want to get you out of here."

 

        Pacifica  _then_ stared in disbelief. "You're working for the twins...And you want to save me?"

 

        "Not quite...See, I can't directly help you without a contract. I can give you bits and pieces of info that you ask me for, but other than that...Nothing." He leaned against the wall and chuckled softly. "Especially not now, since my magic is almost entirely reserved for Dipper according to our contract.

 

        Pacifica chewed at her lip and nodded. "I see...Soooo, right now I can ask you for information?"

 

        "Anything you want. Within reason, please- No in depth questions about the meaning of life or anything." 

 

        That drew a smile from her and she hummed. "Could you show me a page from our journal? The one Gideon kept?" He nodded and she grinned. "Well, I know there was a little thing about spells in ours, but we didn't really want to mess with them.... Can you show me that page at least?"

 

        From the center of the flame in the air, a small black ball formed which then began to form the page she asked him for. I kinda looked like burning paper put in reverse, and just the sight of it thoroughly impressed her. Bill had a huge grin stretched across his face at her expression. "Once you're out of this mindscape, you have to have this spell in affect. This page and I will disappear. But whatever you do, you  _must_ tell Mabel what you're doing before you do it."

 

        "Why do I have to tell her?"

 

        "Because spells can be a little tricky. Sometimes they work on the first try, sometimes it takes really complicated circumstances." Bill gave her a small smile. "Do you trust me on this?"

 

        Paz gave him a smile back and nodded. "You haven't given me a reason not to, have you? Now, I  _think_ I got the perfect spell..."

 

~∆~

 

        After a few recitations and more reassurance, Bill and the mindscape dissipated the only shred of light left. Paz closed her eyes and waited for someone to check on her. As Bill expected, the twins came a couple hours later to move her to a cage backstage for their show while she sat it complete silence. Five minutes before it began, Dipper left Mabel to lock up while he started, but as soon as the door shut behind him, Mabel's mood changed.

 

        "You're too quiet. You're not the quiet type." Mabel sighed and waited for a bit to lock the cage, not meeting Paz's eyes. She knew very well she was staring and didn't want any part of it.

 

        Paz took a small breath and lowered her head, talking quietly so no one but Mabel heard her. "I found the spell you used. I'm sorry, but I need to use it on you too..."

 

        Mabel made a face like she had just been physically hit before her eyes narrowed and she closed in on the cage, trying to intimidate Pacifica. She didn't even flinch. "If you sing one word. _One word_. I will throw you in a bottomless pit for you to suffer in darkness and silence for the rest of your life. _Do you hear me?_ " _  
_

 

        Partially out of fear and partially out of a love for a good challenge, Pacifica began to sing. She kept it soft enough to not let anyone else hear, but made full eye contact throughout the whole song. Or at least what small amount of the song she did sing.

 

         _"_ I _was scared of dentists and the dark_

_I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations_

_All my friends are turning green_

_You're the magicians assistant in their dream_

_Ohhhhh..._

_Oooohh, and they come unstuck._ "

 

        Just as she had acted when she first heard the violin, Mabel froze. She wasn't solid, but seemed more...attentive. She wasn't prepared to give her a response, wasn't showing any sign of anger, and wasn't looking away. It made Pacifica smile.

 

        " _Lady, running down to the riptide_

_Taken away to the dark side_

_I wanna be your left hand man."_

 

Paz gently pushed the cage door open, still looking directly into Mabel's almost  _too_ blue eyes. Mabel only let her step out and swallowed hard, taking a step back herself.

 

        " _I love you,_

_When you're singing that song and_

_I got a lump in my throat 'cause_

_You're gonna sing the words wrong."_

 

For the soul purpose to tease  her, Pacifica leaned in close enough to kiss. Just when Mabel took the chance to kiss her, Paz pressed a finger to her lips and giggled. "Nope. Not tonight, Mabes." She backed up towards the door, taking the opportunity to give a small wave and make one last comment before she ran off. "I'll be back to finish that song for you another night, but I think we're even now!"

 

        Mabel just sat there, hoping that was a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, Pacifica is into radio music. But the song fit way too well for me to pass up the opportunity!


	6. Go On While No One's Looking.

        The night fell apart once Pacifica escaped. Gideon scolded her the whole way back to her own home, where she was sent to her room for the night. The Twins' show was cancelled due to Mabel being so disoriented. After refunding the guests, their Grunkle Stan spent the rest of the night giving them a long talk about all the money lost due to "one stupid mistake".

 

        Bill's night however, was wonderful.

 

        Since the Twins were so busy, he got one of those once in a blue moon occasions when he was allowed to take his borrowed body (or at least that's what he liked to call it. The original owner was  _never_ coming back for it, but "stealing" seemed a bit harsh.) out for the night. He liked to spend the majority of his time in the forest where it was quiet. He could easily have gone somewhere else in the world, but the forest was just as nice- and riddled with the supernatural things that most people didn't get to see. 

 

        He was enjoying it too- until all colour was sucked out of the atmosphere. Oh please let this be a dream and not be-

 

        "Where the heck have you been?" Oh, but it was. Tad Strange.

 

        "You know where I've been..." His head dropped, trying to stay calm. He knew how this talk would go. All their talks recently ended up this way. "I've been locked up with the Twins."

 

        "Don't act like I'm stupid, Cipher." The growl made Bill shudder. "You act weak as hell, but not even you're weak enough to be trapped behind  _iron bars in an animal cage_. Especially not if you're fine with setting up that protection spell around that stupid mansion of theirs."

 

        "Please don't start this tonight..." Bill sighed and shook his head. "I don't want to leave."

 

        "You're a ridiculously powerful demon and you act like such a fucking  _weakling_! You have more energy than any of us and you're  _wasting it!_ " Bill's temper was visibly wearing thin, but Tad refused to stay quiet. Soon he stepped face to face with the yellow demon, who finally decided now was the time to look him in the eye. "And that Dipper kid you're bound to? He doesn't care what happens as long as you're magic is  _his_. You are his  _slave_. You are  _nothing_ to Dipper Gleeful and you never will be-

 

        "ENOUGH!" Bill screeched, throwing Tad off his rant as his hands flew up to cover his ears. The sound echoed through the trees, though no one but them were around to hear it. "Don't _ever_ talk about Dipper that way. You don't know anything about mine or Dipper's intentions or what they will be in the future. Not even I can tell you what will happen. There is no one path and no one can control what will happen. I know what I'm doing. Dipper can't get into my head and until I say so, you can't get into his. If you have nothing nice to say, do me a favour and don't talk to me at all."

 

        Tad grumbled and rubbed his temples. "Was deafening me necessary? What the fuck is _wrong_ with you-"

 

        "What's  _wrong_ with me is that I have someone constantly bothering me about a situation I have under control. Dipper doesn't need to know I can escape. If he does find out he'll only tighten the reigns and make things more difficult. I don't want him paranoid, I want him to feel like he's in a position of power so he remains calm. Our contract binds him, Mabel,  _and_ Stanford to Gravity Falls where they'll be kept under control. I don't want to clean up the mess they'll make if they go elsewhere." Bill started to calm down, averting his eyes once again. "Besides...Those kids don't need to suffer alone with that lowlife of a grand uncle anymore. As long as they have someone to dominate, they're happy."

 

        "That's sick, Cipher. Completely and utterly sick." Tad spat at him, crossing his arms. "You're getting them into a bad habit."

 

        "It's not going to become a habit. I know that much." Bill slumped down to sit against a tree, closing his eyes. "They're scared, and once they're comfortable they'll stop."

 

        "What could the most influential family in the town be afraid of-?"

 

        "Who decides what a child learns is right or wrong?" Bill looked up at him, again meeting his eyes. "Who can tell this child to do whatever they want whenever they want as long as the child is dependent on them for survival?"

 

        Tad fell silent for a moment, irritation slowly draining his face. "Stanford..."

 

Bill gave a weak nod. "I'm not the puppet, Tad."

 

~ △ ~

 

        Dipper and Mabel weren't kept with Stanford for too long. Bill was home in time for Dipper to come check on him, though something was very... _off_ about him tonight. Usually Dipper was his favourite person to see after a show (mainly because Mabel tended to be more psychotic and unpredictable after toying with some poor fan she'd just met), but tonight was clearly not the night for his usual calm demeanor. Bill figured it was something to do with the lecture they received, but instead of him complaining as usual he opened the cage gate.

 

        "Out. There's a new plan and it involves you in your body. Go _now_."

 

        Dipper wasn't usually the most friendly person in the town, but he at least had the decency to talk through his plans before acting on it. It was logical to both of them, and going against his usual routine made Bill uncomfortable. "Dipper-?"

 

        "I said  _now_!"

 

         Bill scrambled to obey Dipper's demand, moving to take control of the hollow body they'd altered and set aside just for his use. As much as he liked the thought of having his own body image to project in the mindscape, he found the fact that this body was the shell of a human Mabel had already disposed of very off putting. If he were ever to take control of someone else's body, he wanted it to be through a binding contract with someone who willingly let him have it. It was more fun watching what was left of them slowly realize what they had done anyway.

 

         He returned with his head down, waiting to hear out Dipper's next order. This was usually how it was when Dipper had a bad night. Wake up Bill, yell at him once or twice, and give him something to do while his sister worked to calm him down. Oddly enough, Dipper seemed to have plenty of bad days lately. Must be a teenaged hormone thing.

 

         "Good. You're going to lure Gideon back here one more time. If he has the journal with him, that's a bonus. But if he doesn't, Pacifica will come 'save' him at any cost." Dipper turned to leave Bill there, but was stopped by the demon gently tugging his shirt. 

 

         "Dipper wait- What if he doesn't come?"

 

         "And why wouldn't he?" Dipper turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "Say you need help. He's bound to cave in if he thinks he's saving a life."

 

         Bill chewed on his lip, trying to think of excuses to keep Dipper there. He wanted to talk things through- Maybe just talk in general. But it killed him to watch Dipper act so cold to him even now. "He's paranoid. What if he thinks I'm up to something?"

 

         "Possess him. You're under my orders to do it if he tells you no. You don't need another deal to make it happen, do you?" Tonight was a mess and there was no chance of recovery. Dipper had to have been stressed and irritated after the show was canceled. He'd never treat Bill so poorly...Or so he liked to believe.

 

         Bill's hand dropped to his side and he lowered his eyes again, admitting defeat. "First thing tomorrow...I'll have him down here. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this late? It feels like it was a little late.
> 
> Anyway, the BillDip is officially going to happen as of this chapter so I hope you are ready for that!
> 
> EDIT:  
> Alright, so due to finals I'm gonna have to say the updates are gonna be held off for a while. Sorry about that!


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